Written Answers

Wednesday 12 July 2000

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of waiting times across Scotland for the provision of barium enemas in the diagnosis of colonic cancer indigestion.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.

Child Abuse

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to establish and fund a network of agencies to support adult survivors of child abuse.

Iain Gray: No. We are however contributing to research which is looking at adult survivors of child abuse and their needs and will consider the results in due course.

Children

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the outcome of the consultation on The Physical Punishment of Children in Scotland: A Consultation will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: We are currently analysing the many responses which we received, and we hope to publish the outcome in the autumn.

Culture

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support it will give to museums in (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh in 2000-01.

Rhona Brankin: For this financial year we have allocated £14.4 million to the National Museums of Scotland, which are mainly located in Edinburgh. Ministers have a statutory responsibility for these museums.

  The Executive does not provide direct financial support to other museums in Edinburgh or Glasgow, or in any other local authority area. Funding of these museums is the responsibility of those who own and operate them. However, local authority museums are funded from the Grant Aided Expenditure provided by the Executive. GAE for leisure and recreation in Glasgow is £45 million and Edinburgh is £29.3 million.

Culture

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to promote arts and culture in rural areas.

Rhona Brankin: We shall shortly publish the National Cultural Strategy   which   will create a framework to ensure access to culture in all areas of Scotland.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations were or will be consulted on The Development of the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse and Recent Work in Scotland, the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland and the proposed Action Plan on the Prevention of Domestic Violence; whether any of these organisations have been reimbursed for costs incurred in responding to these consultations; if so, how much each organisation (a) has received to date and (b) will receive in total and, if not, whether any organisations requested reimbursement but were refused, specifying in each case the reasons given for any such refusals.

Jackie Baillie: The report The Development of the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse and Recent Work in Scotland was not issued as a consultation paper but it did draw upon information gained from a questionnaire circulated by the Partnership to local authorities, health services, police forces and voluntary organisations. 100 questionnaires were completed.

  A draft National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland was issued for consultation in February 2000 to local authorities, health services, police forces and 57 voluntary organisations. 52 responses were received. A revised National Strategy, including an Action Plan and Good Practice Guidance and Service Standards will be issued for consultation very shortly.

  No organisation received or requested remuneration for their response.

Education

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking in response to the findings in The Quality of Services in Rural Scotland that 20% of respondents were dissatisfied with primary schools, 29% dissatisfied with secondary schools and 33% with pre-school opportunities.

Mr Sam Galbraith: All our policies for schools are directed to ensuring that children benefit from education of the highest quality, and this objective is as important in rural areas as in other parts of Scotland. It is encouraging to note the report’s findings that 91% of parents were satisfied with the primary school attended by their child and 88% were satisfied in the case of secondary schools. Since the data were collected, we have achieved universal provision of pre-school education for four-year-olds and provision for three-year-olds in rural areas is growing rapidly.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any meetings are planned between Ministers and representatives of the seven grant-aided special educational needs schools in Scotland to discuss the transition away from grant-aided funding.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Discussions on transitional arrangements have taken place in two rounds of meetings between Scottish Executive officials and representatives of all seven schools. Ministers have been kept informed of these discussions.

Employment

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been notified of any impending redundancies in the Mid Scotland and Fife or Central Scotland regions and, if so, whether it will list them by parliamentary constituency.

Henry McLeish: The Executive does not disclose notifications of impending redundancies that have been provided on a commercially confidential basis.

Employment

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs were created in Scotland in each of the last five years through inward investment and how many of these jobs were in Glasgow.

Henry McLeish: The table below contains details of the number of manufacturing jobs attracted to Scotland through inward investment in each of the last five years and how many of these jobs were in Glasgow.

  


Year 


No of manufacturing 
jobs attracted to Scotland 


No of manufacturing 
jobs attracted to Glasgow 




1995-96 


7,673 


227 




1996-97 


7,787 


137 




1997-98 


3,749 


73 




1998-99 


4,380 


149 




1999-2000 


5,901 


190

Environment

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to extend the powers currently available to local authorities in respect of dangerous buildings to cover dangerous trees.

Sarah Boyack: No. The Building (Scotland) Act 1959, which deals with dangerous buildings, relates to the risks of buildings affecting the health and safety of people and is not suitable for dealing with more general safety concerns.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3637 by Sarah Boyack on 24 January 2000, whether it is now possible to state whether the results of the 1997 survey of aggregate working will be published and, if so, when.

Sarah Boyack: The returns received from operators are still being analysed to establish whether any meaningful conclusions can be drawn.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the question S1W-3641 by Sarah Boyack on 25 January 2000, which planning authorities have established joint working in order to ensure that adequate reserves of aggregates are available in all local authority areas.

Sarah Boyack: This is a matter for planning authorities. Joint working may include the establishment of consortia, as has happened in the east of Scotland, or in the context of preparing Joint Structure Plans. The Joint Structure Plan areas are Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire; Ayrshire; Dundee and Angus; Glasgow and Clyde Valley; Lothians; and Stirling and Clackmannanshire.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4013 by Sarah Boyack on 11 February 2000, what actions the Minister for Transport and the Environment has taken as a result of her meeting with the Quarry Products Association on 10 September 1999.

Sarah Boyack: None. It was made clear at the meeting that the Executive did not consider it necessary to reconvene an Aggregates Working Party in Scotland.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7490 by Sarah Boyack on 21 June 2000, what the annual cost is to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, including overheads, of its activities authorising, overseeing and monitoring the discharges into the environment from (a) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, (b) British Nuclear Fuels Ltd, (c) British Energy and (d) the operators of any other plants discharging significant quantities of radioactive matter into the environment.

Sarah Boyack: The annual costs to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, including overheads, in the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000, from authorising, overseeing and monitoring of radioactive discharges into the environment were:

  £280,000 in respect of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority;

  £61,000 in respect of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd;

  £61,000 in respect of British Energy, and

  £31,000 in respect of other operations of plants discharging significant quantities of radioactive matter into the environment.

  Following a comprehensive review of costs by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, a revised charging rate will be implemented on 1 September 2000. This is expected to achieve full cost recovery from April 2001.

Environment

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7490 by Sarah Boyack on 21 June 2000, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s strategy for monitoring discharges into the environment from the sites of (a) the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, (b) British Nuclear Fuels Ltd and (c) British Energy, listing the survey locations, sample type, frequency of measurements and isotopes monitored in each case.

Sarah Boyack: The programme of monitoring for radioactivity in the environment undertaken on behalf of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) includes the sampling and measurement of radioactivity in various environmental media and foodstuffs from locations throughout Scotland. A significant proportion of the monitoring programme relates to samples taken around nuclear sites. The strategy behind the sampling and measurement programme has the following objectives:

  the monitoring of radioactive isotopes which are significant in terms of the discharges authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 from individual sites;

  the monitoring of radioactive isotopes which indicate plant performance at individual sites; and

  the monitoring of environmental media and foodstuffs which may represent a significant pathway to man.

  A further purpose of the monitoring programme is to act as an additional check for compliance with conditions in authorisations for the discharge of waste and to provide a baseline dataset from which to judge the importance of accidental releases of radioactivity, should they occur.

  The sample locations, frequency of measurements and the radioactive isotopes monitored are published annually by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and SEPA in the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment (RIFE) report. A copy of the most recent report (RIFE-4), for 1998, is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. no. 1985).

Executive Information

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that all information it supplies to businesses is explained in plain English.

Henry McLeish: I refer Mr Gibson to the answer that the Minister for Finance gave to question S1W-7229.

Expenditure

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the National Archives for Scotland.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by Registers of Scotland.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the General Register Office for Scotland.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by Central Support.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Rural Affairs Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Justice Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Health Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Education Department.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4598 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 March 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the spending on external consultants and contractors since 1 July 1999 by the Development Department.

Mr Jack McConnell: The table below provides details of expenditure between 1 July 1999 and 29 February 2000, which was the period covered by my answer of 20 March (to question S1W-4598). The figures in the left hand column represent total expenditure with external suppliers, including external consultants. May I draw your attention to a typographical error in my earlier answer in respect of spending on external suppliers by Registers of Scotland. The correct figure is shown below.

  

 

External Suppliers
£ million 


External Consultants
£000 




Development Department 


43.9 


200 




Education Department (including 
Historic Scotland, Scottish Public Pensions Agency) 


26.6 


310 




Enterprise and Lifelong Learning 
Department (Including Student Awards Agency for Scotland) 


3.1 


45 




Health Department 


3.2 


360 




Justice Department (including 
Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Court Service) 


72.6 


285 




Rural Affairs Department (including 
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency, Scottish Agricultural 
Science Agency, Fisheries Research Services) 


21.2 


95 




Central Support * 


20.1 


93 




Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal 
Service 


6.6 


29 




General Register Office for Scotland 


0.9 


9 




National Archives of Scotland 


0.5 


nil 




Registers of Scotland  


9.0 


65 




  * includes Corporate Services, Executive Secretariat and Finance

Expenditure

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will invest in (a) road infrastructure, (b) rail infrastructure and (c) land reclamation in Scotland each year from 2000-01 to 2002-03 inclusive and what proportion of this investment will be spent each year in Glasgow.

Sarah Boyack: Details of the Executive’s expenditure plans to 31 March 2002 are in the Annual Expenditure Report entitled Investing in You . A copy is available in SPICe. Bodies other than the Executive have responsibilities for road infrastructure, rail and land reclamation in Glasgow. The Executive does not have details of their investment plans. The Executive plans to spend around £31 million on motorways and trunk roads in Glasgow in the period to 31 March 2002.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment there has been of the impact of fuel costs on the fishing industry.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive has carried out no such assessment.

Fisheries

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the vessels of the Scottish Fishery Protection Service and the year of construction of each.

Mr John Home Robertson: The following is the list of vessels of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency:

  


Offshore Patrol 
Vessels 


Launched 




Westra 


1975 




Sulisker 


1980 




Vigilant 


1982 




Norna 


1987 




Inshore Patrol 
Vessels 

 



Moidart 


1983 




Morven 


1983

Fuel

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in respect of the use of red diesel for agricultural vehicles and what its involvement is in the operation of the scheme of exemption from duty.

Sarah Boyack: Red diesel is a reserved matter.

Fuel

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what further action it intends to take in relation to high fuel prices and the falling number of petrol stations and post offices in rural areas in response to the finding in The Quality of Services in Rural Scotland that "for those without reliable transport, the trend towards distant services represents a significant problem".

Sarah Boyack: Service provision is of key importance for rural communities. The Executive has recently asked the Scottish National Rural Partnership to bring together service providers to look at how services might be provided in innovative and imaginative ways in rural areas, as well as identifying ways of helping local communities to assess their realistic service needs and to work with providers to achieve these.

  The Executive has also commissioned an evaluation of the effectiveness of the rural transport fund which is due to report in October 2000. This will inform decisions on future support for rural transport in this autumn’s Scottish Spending Review. The Executive is working in close partnership with the UK Government to maintain the rural post office network. It welcomes the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 28 June that the current size of that network will be maintained until 2006, except where it is impossible to find replacements for departing sub-postmasters.

Genetically Modified Crops

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that all GM contaminated seeds mistakenly planted in Scotland will be effectively destroyed.

Ross Finnie: Once my officials have information on the locations where these seeds have been planted they will visit them to verify that crops have been destroyed. Thereafter the sites in question will be monitored.

Genetically Modified Crops

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any genetically modified crops have been planted in the Forth Valley area and, if so, whether it will list all those farms involved.

Ross Finnie: No consents have been issued for the growing of genetically modified crops in the Forth Valley area.

  In terms of the GM-contaminated Advanta seeds sown in Scotland, our expert advisory committees have assured us that there are no public or environmental safety concerns involved. In view of this, I do not believe it to be in the public interest to publish information on the locations of the farms involved, for doing so could lead to unwarranted action against farmers who have acted in good faith in this matter.

Glasgow

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve the economic infrastructure of Glasgow.

Henry McLeish: Scottish Enterprise Glasgow has a budget of £50.253 million for 2000-01, its functions include safeguarding employment, enhancing skills, promoting industrial efficiency and international competitiveness and furthering improvements to the environment.

  Glasgow City Council are budgeting to spend £25.256 million on economic development in 2000-01.

  The Scottish Executive plans to spend £31 million on the Motorway and Trunk Road network in Glasgow in the period to 31 March 2002, other transport infrastructure improvements and spend are not the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.

Health

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for medical cover for residents in the Dalmally area following the resignation of the doctor covering this area and whether it will give an assurance that such cover will not solely be given by locums.

Susan Deacon: The provision of general medical services in the Dalmally area is a matter for Lomond and Argyll Primary Care NHS Trust.

Health Boards

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any evidence that health boards are not following national guidelines on prescribing due to local budget constraints and whether this will have any effect on the work of the Health Technology Board for Scotland in ending "postcode prescribing".

Susan Deacon: No. It is a matter for each individual health board to determine its prescribing policy on drugs, taking into account advice from Local Drug and Therapeutic Committees. When the Health Technology Board for Scotland begins work later this summer, health boards will have access to a single focus of national advice on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of health technologies, including drugs.

Higher Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what special provisions have been made to finance the tuition fees and maintenance costs of care leavers in order to encourage their entry into higher education.

Henry McLeish: Currently, there are no special finance arrangements for care leavers entering higher education. The support costs are met from the normal budget.

  The eligibility criteria for student support are the same as for all other students studying full-time higher education. However, a new allowance was introduced in session 1999-2000 to help those students entering higher education from care, with assistance for accommodation costs during the long vacation. This was intended to help students who may be unable to undertake these courses without financial hardship.

Highlands and Islands Airports

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4698 by Mr Jack McConnell on 14 April 2000, why Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd are not covered by a Policy and Financial Management Review.

Sarah Boyack: Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) is a nationalised industry and a private limited company under the Companies Act 1985. Policy and Financial Management Reviews (PFMR) require to be conducted for   NDPBs and Agencies of the Scottish Executive only.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4424 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 3 April 2000, whether it will define exactly what "a wider value for money scrutiny" entails, including in particular details of the criteria against which the comparative analysis of options is undertaken.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive’s scrutiny of transfer of council housing stock will be broadly in line with that which has been adopted for previous transfers of public sector houses, particularly Scottish Homes’ stock. This will call for an assessment of each proposal to determine whether it represents value for money to the taxpayer and to assess the wider benefits of transfer for tenants and others.

  The best price reasonably obtained in the circumstances of the sale must be sought, and councils will therefore be required to commission an independent valuation of their stock. This will take the form of a tenanted market value, that is a valuation based on the assumption that the stock will remain available for letting to tenants with low incomes. The net present value of future rents and costs, based on this assumption, establishes a guide price against which a prospective purchaser’s offer can be judged. In addition, the department’s scrutiny will include a comparison of the costs to the taxpayer of councils retaining their stock against transferring it. This assessment will look at the viability of a transfer option and wider aspects such as the Housing Benefit consequences.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any guidance is issued to local authorities as to the procedure for choosing independent tenant advisers to advise tenants on the housing stock transfer proposals.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Procedural guidelines for local authorities undertaking stock transfers and a code of practice on tenant participation and stock transfers will be published shortly. These publications will recommend that councils involve tenants in the selection of the tenants’ adviser.

Hunting

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the final cost was to it of the MacAulay Land Use Research Institute report.

Mr John Home Robertson: The total cost of the research project on the Economic Impacts of a Ban on Hunting with Dogs in Scotland was £20,667.

Hunting

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the brief given to the MacAulay Land Use Research Institute for its report into the impact of banning hunting with dogs.

Mr John Home Robertson: The remit of the study commissioned by the Scottish Executive covered the investigation of the economic impact of a ban as it affected fox hunting by mounted hunts, the activities of the Scottish Hill Packs Association and the employment of gamekeepers. Both the remit and key objectives of the remit are set out in chapter 1, paragraph 1 of the report.

Life Expectancy

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what average life expectancy was for every year for which figures are available.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information on life expectancy at birth is given in table 5.4 of the Registrar General for Scotland Annual Report 1998 published by the General Register Office for Scotland in 1999, a copy of which was sent to each Member of the Scottish Parliament in July 1999 and is also available in SPICe SE/1999/14.

Lingerbay Quarry

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when an announcement will be made on the proposed superquarry at Lingerbay.

Sarah Boyack: The report on the proposed superquarry at Lingerbay raised a range of complex issues. My consideration of one issue in particular has been complicated by recent policy developments, in the light of which it has become necessary for me to seek further information before I can make a substantive decision on this planning application. I have come to the view that I cannot make a decision without clarifying the position, with the advice of Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, as to whether or not any part of the proposed development area should be proposed as a Special Area of Conservation under the EC Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC).

  A planning application by Redland Aggregates Limited (now Redland Lafarge) was submitted to the then Western Isles Island Council on 25 March 1991. On 24 June 1993, the Islands Council informed the then Secretary of State that they were minded to grant planning permission and, on 6 January 1994, a Direction, calling in the application for the Secretary of State’s determination, was issued. A public local inquiry was conducted by the former Chief Reporter between 11 October 1994 and 6 June 1995. The Reporter submitted her report and recommendations to the Secretary of State on 29 April 1999.

  The report comprises four volumes totalling about 800 pages and is extremely complicated. It has therefore been necessary for my officials to consider it in some detail. They must ensure that, when I come to take a decision, I am properly informed on all the relevant matters. Only then can I reach a proper decision.

  Planning decisions must be made in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Ministers are, therefore, required by law to consider the statutory development plan for an area and all material considerations. An important material consideration is the nature conservation interest in the site. In Part 1 of her report, the Reporter recognised that there were botanical interests of national and international importance on the site, but she was unclear on whether the site merited designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

  The requirement to designate SACs derives from the EC Habitats Directive. This establishes a system for the selection of sites containing certain species and habitats. This involves national Governments proposing sites to the European Commission as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs).

  Following the proposal of cSACs to the European Commission by member states, the Commission conducts a "moderation process" to determine which sites are to be designated as SACs. The first stage of this process took place between September and November 1999. The Commission decided that, in common with other member states, the UK had proposed an insufficient number and range of sites as cSACs. The UK was therefore invited to propose further cSACs. Moreover, the alleged insufficiency of the UK’s list of cSACs has, since January 2000, been the subject of reference by the Commission to the European Court of Justice. The Commission intends to consider proposals for further sites at a second moderation seminar in early 2001. To meet its international obligations in relation to nature conservation, the UK Government therefore intends to propose additional cSACs.

  In the light of the European Commission’s judgment that the UK had proposed insufficient cSACs, I commissioned scientific advice from Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee about what further sites should be selected. I published, on 14 June, a list of sites which had been recommended to me as cSACs (Official Report, 14 June 2000, S1W-7913). That list did not include any site within the Lingerbay application area.

  There is, however, a question arising from evidence in the report of the public local inquiry, which has not been resolved by the advice referred to above, about whether part of the application area may merit selection as a SAC. The report indicates that the site at Lingerbay hosts several natural habitat types for which the EC Habitats Directive requires the selection of cSACs and for which the UK has been found by the Commission to have proposed too few sites. These include North Atlantic wet heaths (whose conservation interest is increased by the presence of internationally important bryophyte communities noted in the report), European dry heaths, Alpine and boreal heaths, siliceous Alpine and boreal grasslands, and blanket bog.

  The evidence in the report raises the question of whether the area merits selection as a cSAC, but does not provide sufficient material which would allow me conclusively to reach a view on that without expert advice. As the nature conservation status of the site is a material consideration in determining the planning application, I need to be clear about that matter. To take a decision on the planning application, taking into account, among other factors, partial or out of date information on the site’s status for nature conservation purposes would, I believe, be wrong. I am aware that further delay in reaching a substantive decision on this planning application will cause considerable disappointment among both proponents of the proposal and objectors.

  A decision as to whether or not to propose an area as a cSAC must be properly informed. The Scottish Executive relies on Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee for advice on nature conservation. I have therefore instructed SNH and JNCC to consider whether the site at Lingerbay should be proposed to the European Commission as a cSAC. I have asked SNH and JNCC to let me have their views as quickly as is consistent with the integrity of the detailed consideration they will now need to undertake.

  I have asked my officials to write to the parties to the original inquiry to inform them that this is being done. We will also inform them when we receive the scientific advice which I am commissioning. One issue which may, of course, fall to be considered when we have this advice is whether or not the inquiry should be re-opened. That issue, and related issues about the remit of any such re-opened inquiry and how best to expedite its proceedings will, of course, have to be determined by reference to the advice received from SNH and JNCC and the circumstances obtaining at that time. However, should it prove necessary to re-open the inquiry we would take care to ensure that the remit of the re-opened inquiry is no wider than is necessary to enable me to reach a properly informed decision. There would be no question of simply rehearsing all of the matters which the Reporter has already carefully considered.

  In view of the quasi-judicial function which I must exercise in reaching a final decision on this application, I cannot go further in this response lest this be interpreted as prejudicing my consideration of the case. I do, however, give a commitment that, subject to ensuring that I have all the necessary information, and that I in no way compromise the fundamental planning system principles of openness, fairness and impartiality, the determination of this application will be expedited as quickly as possible following receipt of the scientific advice I am commissioning.

  The circumstances of this case are by any standards exceptional. However, I am determined to ensure that we learn from the process which has been followed on this application and that we adapt our procedures to reduce the possibility of substantial delays in the future.

Medical Students

Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the childcare support available to those nursing and medical students who are precluded from earning additional income through part-time or vacation employment, due to the extended length of, or the intensity of study required by, their course.

Susan Deacon: We intend to review all aspects of the support systems for pre-registration nursing students in Scotland, with any changes being introduced from autumn 2001.

  Medical students are not given specific funding for childcare costs. However, many students will use the dependants and lone parents’ grants to help cover these costs. Extra help is also available through the Access funds which are administered by the individual universities. Assistance can be provided at the discretion of the institutions and help with childcare costs can be given to eligible students.

  Students who are on courses which have academic years longer than the standard 30 weeks are given additional assistance by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

  The Executive has no specific plans to review the support arrangements for medical students. These arrangements are monitored on a routine basis by SAAS.

Medical Students

Dr Richard Simpson (Ochil) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the financial support available to those nursing and medical students who are precluded from earning additional income through part-time or vacation employment, due to extended length of, or the intensity of study required by, their course.

Susan Deacon: We intend to review all aspects of the support systems for pre-registration nursing students in Scotland, with any changes being introduced from autumn 2001.

  The Executive has no specific plans to review the financial support arrangements for medical students. These arrangements are monitored on a routine basis by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). Students who are on courses which have academic years longer than the standard 30 weeks are already given additional assistance by SAAS. Extra help is also available through the Access funds which are administered by the individual universities. Assistance can be provided at the discretion of the institutions and help with childcare costs and other expenses can be given to eligible students.

Mental Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish waiting lists for patients with mental health problems.

Susan Deacon: Information on waiting lists is collected centrally only for hospital inpatients and day cases. Most consultations and treatments for patients with mental health problems are undertaken on an outpatient or day hospital basis and, therefore, information on the number of patients waiting for such treatment is not held centrally.

  Data is collected centrally on first outpatient referrals and the length of time that patients waited for their first outpatient appointment. Information on waiting times for a first outpatient appointment for all specialties, including those for mental health, is given in table M6.7 on page 206 of Scottish Health Statistics 1999, which was published by the Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency in March this year, a copy of which is available in the SPICe (Bib. no. 6937).

Mental Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that National Lottery funding for successful mental health projects continues on a permanent basis.

Iain Gray: Decisions on National Lottery Charities Board (NLCB) funding are a matter entirely for the NLCB Scotland Committee.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to bring the incidence of mental and behaviour disorders among males due to alcohol misuse, drug misuse and schizophrenia in line with the lower incidence among females.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling inequalities in health, including gender-based inequalities. To that end, and in conjunction with a range of partners, the Scottish Executive is taking forward a wide programme of action to improve life circumstances, to address lifestyles and to target priority health topics, including mental health. This is expected to contribute to improving mental wellbeing and reducing the incidence of mental and behaviour disorders.

  In addition the Executive continues to tackle drug misuse in Scotland through the comprehensive implementation of the drugs strategy in Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership. This places great importance on treatment, and one of the leading action priorities of the strategy is to improve service to people with dual diagnosis of substance misuse and mental health problems, including an integrated psychiatric service for patients at serious risk of chronic self-harm who also have a co-existing drug problem.

NHS Complaints

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to monitor the level and nature of non-clinical complaints against (a) consultants within the NHS, (b) other doctors within the NHS, (c) nurses within the NHS and (d) other staff within the NHS.

Susan Deacon: Information on written complaints received under the NHS complaints procedure, is published annually by Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency.

  The most recent publication NHS Complaints in Scotland 1998/99 can be found in SPICe (Bib. no.6909). For complaints received by NHS Trusts, it provides details of up to three issues raised and up to two staff groups within a pre-defined range for each complaint.

  Information on primary care complaints covers three broad service types – medical services, dental services and primary care administration. The published information is less detailed than that collected at NHS Trust level and does not provide information on specific issues raised or staff groups.

NHS Salaries

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior nurses have received the discretionary bonus for work beyond their normal duties, and what the total value of these awards has been, in the current financial year and last year.

Susan Deacon: The only information held centrally shows that, as at February 2000, some 1,563 nurses and midwives had been awarded discretionary points. The estimated cost of these awards is just over £1 million.

NHS Staff

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what counselling and advice the NHS provides to (a) consultants within the NHS, (b) other doctors within the NHS, (c) nurses within the NHS and (d) other staff within the NHS against whom non-clinical complaints have been made.

Susan Deacon: All NHS employers should have proper procedures for investigating such complaints and for supporting staff against whom a complaint is made. Advice on handling such matters and legal assistance is generally available from the professional organisation or trade union of the NHS employee. In addition, it is open to any member of staff to refer themselves for counselling to the occupational health service.

NHS Staff

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many nursing practitioners are presently in post and (b) how many it is proposed be appointed and over what period, in which specialities and in which NHS Trusts.

Susan Deacon: "Nurse practitioner" is a term often used to describe nurses, specialist or generalist, who practise autonomously and who may undertake duties which are normally the province of a medical practitioner. They work in many settings, particularly in general practice and in accident & emergency.

  The term is not precisely defined and no data are collected centrally.

NHS Trusts

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS Trusts have implemented the Working Time Regulations; whether these Trusts have incorporated the extra costs of implementing these regulations into their financial projections, and how much of the £86 million additional health funding earmarked for Scotland will be available for improving patient care after these costs have been taken into account.

Susan Deacon: All Trusts and health boards in the NHS in Scotland are expected to comply with the provisions of the Working Time Regulations. An additional £173 million has been allocated to the health budget in Scotland, following the Chancellor’s budget in March. This brings the total health budget in Scotland in 1999-2000 to £5.4 billion.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by Department of its own targets and actual performance to date for recruiting New Deal trainees and employees, indicating the target and actual durations of such recruits and details of their employment destinations on leaving or completing their period with the Scottish Executive.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive has no individual departmental targets set for its participation in the New Deal programme. The programme is managed centrally and as New Deal staff are cleared for appointment they are assigned directly into departments. The Executive has an overall target to offer 50 New Deal places and has no plans to reduce its efforts once this target is reached. The table below outlines the Executive’s achievements to date:

  

 

Number 




Appointments Offered 


45 




Actual Starts 


31 




New Deal staff now in permanent 
positions with the Executive
- Average period of time on New 
Deal with the Executive 


8
8 months 




New Deal staff who have left 
the Executive*
- Average period of time on New 
Deal with the Executive 


11
8 months 




New Deal staff currently on the 
Programme 


12 




  *Destinations unknown.

  To date the Executive has offered a range of New Deal jobs; i.e. administration, secretarial, support, security and craft, in a range of locations; i.e. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Stirling, Peterhead and Dumfries. It is in regular contact with the Employment Service (ES) in an effort to attract as many applicants as possible for its New Deal positions. The Executive has given a general commitment to ES to interview all New Deal applicants that they consider suitable for its places and it has also informed ES that it is willing to consider applicants from all elements of the New Deal. It currently has employees in the 18-24, 25+ and Lone Parent elements of the programme.

  Whilst I recognise the Executive’s efforts to date, I am keen to see an increase in the number of New Deal staff employed in this important programme. I have, therefore, asked officials to consider how the Executive might increase further its participation. To that end, officials are in discussion with ES about further candidates for the Executive’s places in Edinburgh and Glasgow. It will also seek to identify opportunities in other locations where the Executive has a presence.

Nursery Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) private, (b) public and (c) voluntary sector (i) full-time and (ii) part-time nursery places for three-year-olds are currently available and how many were available in each of the last three years.

Peter Peacock: The available information is set out below. This shows the number of pre-school education places occupied by eligible three-year-olds and funded by Scottish Executive grant in the private, public and voluntary sectors for the current school year. This is the first year of grant-funded places for three-years-olds. Comparable information for previous years is not available. All pre-school education places are part-time, a fully loaded place offering five sessions of education (each of around 2½ hours) a week over the school year.

  


Type of Provision 


1999-2000 




Private* 


9,022 




Public 


24,401 




Voluntary 


7,098 




  * Includes independent schools, grant-aided special schools, self-governing schools and childminders.

Nursery Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) private, (b) public and (c) voluntary sector (i) full-time and (ii) part-time nursery places for four-year-olds are currently available and how many were available in each of the last three years.

Peter Peacock: The available information is set out below. This shows number of pre-school education places occupied by eligible four-year-olds and funded by Scottish Executive grant in the private, public and voluntary sectors in respect of the academic years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000. Comparable information for 1996-97 is not available. All pre-school education places are part-time, a fully loaded place offering five sessions of education (each of around 2½ hours) a week over the school year.

  


Type of Provision 


1997-98 


1998-99 


1999-2000 




Private* 


8,034 


3,939 


6,332 




Public 


47,616 


50,334 


48,282 




Voluntary 


3,724 


2,778 


3,217 




  * Includes independent schools, grant-aided special schools, self-governing schools and childminders.

Opencast Coal Sites

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty’s Government or coal operators on the calculations used in establishing the figures for bonds posted to hold operators of opencast coal sites in Scotland responsible for any environmental damage caused in the restoration of opencast mine sites; what calculations are actually used, and how does it ensure that companies who are responsible for restoring such sites after coal extraction are financially able to carry out restoration to a required environmental standard.

Sarah Boyack: No such representations have been made by the Executive to HM Government on this devolved matter. The need for and the calculation of restoration bonds are matters for councils when determining planning applications for opencast coal developments.

Pollution

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to minimise pollution of the River Clyde.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for the protection of the quality of the River Clyde. It routinely monitors chemical, biological and hydrological parameters to gauge the health of various sectors of the river. Water authorities and industry require consents from SEPA, which are regularly reviewed, under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, to discharge effluent to the water environment. SEPA uses the information gained through its monitoring programme to set appropriate conditions for these consents. Enforcement action is taken where discharges breach these consents.

  SEPA may also take enforcement action through various regulations to ensure that storage facilities, farming practices and waste disposal are properly controlled.

  Services such as a 24-hour hotline to report pollution incidents and the production of guidance leaflets and other publicly available materials are used to encourage better practice to protect the environment. In particular, SEPA West Region has recently produced an information pack, which includes a CD ROM, to provide information about the West of Scotland’s water environment. A copy of this pack has been placed in the SPICe (Bib. no. 6765).

  SEPA published a report, Improving Scotland’s Water Environment outlining measures undertaken to minimise water pollution, and the targets towards which it is working. A copy is available in SPICe (Bib. no. 2964).

  The West of Scotland Water Authority also plays an important role in maintaining and improving the quality of the water in the river. The authority discharges effluent into the river and its tributaries from several water supply and wastewater treatment works along its banks and from storm-water overflows from the sewerage network. The existing treatment works are operated so as to optimise the quality of the effluent discharged and minimise their impact on the river. The authority has invested, and will continue to invest, very significant sums in the modernisation and replacement of works along the riverbank.

  On the freshwater section of the Clyde notable works are:

  the provision of tertiary treatment to the wastewater treatment works at Daldowie to ensure that the quality of effluent discharged into the river is improved, and

  the improvement of storm-water overflows known to operate in an unsatisfactory manner so as to reduce the number and duration of discharges of storm-water into the adjacent watercourse so that impact of these water courses on the river will be minimised.

  Information about the estuarial and coastal sections of the Clyde may be found in the information pack referred to above.

Ports

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the volume is of (a) freight and (b) passenger traffic which has passed through the ports of (i) Stranraer and (ii) Cairnryan in each of the last ten years.

Sarah Boyack: The following information was obtained from surveys commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Passenger numbers are not available for the years prior to 1990.

  

 

Freight traffic
(thousand tonnes) 


Passengers
(thousands) 



 

Stranraer 


Cairnryan 


Stranraer 


Cairnryan 




1988 


1,653 


1,171 


n.a. 


n.a. 




1989 


1,775 


1,233 


n.a. 


n.a. 




1990 


1,737 


1,114 


1,155 


454 




1991 


1,751 


949 


1,271 


407 




1992 


1,591 


1,073 


1,511 


424 




1993 


1,717 


1,234 


1,692 


572 




1994 


1,813 


1,233 


1,675 


593 




1995 


1,868 


1,991 


1,791 


551 




1996 


1,646 


2,025 


1,704 


501 




1997 


1,794 


2,227 


1,909 


751 




1998 


1,780 


2,504 


1,803 


769 




  n.a. – not available.

  It is intended to publish such figures in future editions of Scottish Transport Statistics, copies of which will be available in the Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib. no. 1771).

Public Appointments

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which persons were considered for appointment to membership of  sportscotland and which have been appointed; of these, which came from or are associated with the Highlands and Islands and what were the reasons if none did come from or are associated with the Highlands and Islands.

Mr Sam Galbraith: All applications for public appointments are made in confidence. The names of the individuals who applied therefore cannot be made public. Vacancies are publicised widely. All applications received are considered equally on merit under a fair, open and transparent assessment process.

  I announced the new members on 26 June. They are Mrs Wai-Yin Hatton, Dr Nanette Mutrie and Dr Linda Leighton-Beck. None of these appointees live in the Highlands and Islands and we have no information on whether they have any association with the area.

Queen Mother’s Birthday

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has made to celebrate the 100th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Mother on 4 August 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: A wide range of celebrations are being planned, principally in London but also in Scotland. Her Majesty’s birthday will be the source of much pleasure to Scots everywhere in view of Her Majesty’s long and close association with Scotland and the deep affection in which she is held.

Rape

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people accused of rape have chosen to represent themselves in court in each of the last ten years; what percentage of people accused of rape this represented in each year, and what percentage of people accused of other crimes represented themselves in each year, broken down by crime.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information sought is not routinely collected and collation of this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Rape

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in (a) how many and (b) what percentage of rape cases where the accused people have represented themselves was a verdict of (i) not proven, (ii) not guilty and (iii) guilty returned.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information sought is not routinely collected and collation of this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Recycling

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of the recently announced mandatory targets for recycling municipal waste in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland, when such targets will be set for Scotland and whether it will require the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to make these targets mandatory.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-7711 on 21 June.

  In light of SEPA’s guidance, I will consider what action the Executive should take on recycling targets.

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether those "relevant authorities" as defined in schedule 1 in the Transport (Scotland) Bill, which serve parts of Scotland which are rural or predominantly rural and which choose not to use the proposed powers to make road user charges or workplace parking levies, will receive no extra resources for investment in transport.

Sarah Boyack: "Relevant authorities" as defined in schedule 1 in the Transport (Scotland) Bill are authorities which are party to a road user or workplace parking scheme made jointly with other authorities. As defined, "relevant authorities" would receive a share of the proceeds of such scheme. As any income received from a charging scheme will be additional to present levels, "relevant authorities" will receive extra resources for investment in transport from the scheme.

Roads

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish local authorities undertake regular cycles of road maintenance on the roads in their area and, if so, whether this cycle of maintenance complies with either the highway maintenance code of good practice or the Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland’s standards.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive does not hold the information requested.

Roads

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6878 by Sarah Boyack on 23 May 2000, what measures are in place to ensure that utility supply companies co-ordinate road excavations with reference to information distributed by the operators of the Scottish Road Works Register.

Sarah Boyack: The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 requires a utility company proposing to execute road works to give advance notice of the road works to the relevant road authority. In practice, this is done by the utility company giving notice to the Scottish Road Works Register. The road authority may then impose requirements as to the provision of information and other procedural steps necessary for the purpose of co-ordinating the proposed works with other works of any description proposed to be executed in the road.

  Failure to comply with these duties is an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 (£1,000) on the standard scale.

Rural Affairs

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to in response to the findings in The Quality of Services in Rural Scotland that 62% of respondents to survey expressed dissatisfaction with activities for young children and 83% with activities for teenagers and in particular how it plans to increase the provision of activities for teenagers, given the role such activities can play in preventing teenagers becoming involved in drug taking and underage drinking.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Local provision is primarily a matter for local authorities to decide in the light of local priorities, needs and resources. The Executive operates a number of grant schemes to assist youth organisations and to support services in rural areas.

Rural Affairs

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to establish a broad consensus of what services should be available to communities in order to provide a benchmark against which local provision can be measured, as recommended in The Quality of Services in Rural Scotland , and when it expects to publish details of this benchmark level of service provision.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is considering the recommendations of the report The Quality of Services in Rural Scotland published on 26 June which included the provision of benchmarking. The Executive is committed to ensuring that rural communities are able to access a wide range of services. That is why I recently tasked the Scottish National Rural Partnership to bring together service providers to look at how services might be provided in innovative and imaginative ways in rural areas, as well as identifying ways of helping local communities to identify their realistic service needs and to work with providers to achieve these. I look forward to receiving the group’s recommendations at the end of November.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into Scots law will have any effect on national or individual schools’ policies on the wearing of school uniforms.

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is with regard to the wearing of school uniforms.

Peter Peacock: There is no national requirement for uniforms to be worn. That is a matter for headteachers, usually in negotiation with parents, parent representative bodies and pupils. However, the Executive believes that the positive effects of school uniform are such that it should be encouraged wherever possible by schools and authorities.

  As the school uniform system operates in state schools in Scotland it is difficult to envisage any circumstances where it might infringe any rights under the ECHR.

Sensory Impaired People

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a progress report on the monitoring of services for sensory impaired people.

Iain Gray: The provision of services for people with a sensory impairment is the responsibility of local authorities. The report, Sensing Progress , prepared by the Social Work Services Inspectorate, provided guidance and made recommendations for the planning and delivery by local authorities of services for people with a sensory impairment. The Inspectorate will provide a progress report through its annual report.

Sensory Impaired People

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a progress report, by local authority area, on the implementation of The Scottish Office Report on the inspection of social work services for the sensory impaired and, in particular, on the establishment of multi-agency strategies and resource groups due to be put in place by April 2000.

Iain Gray: The Social Work Services Inspectorate asked all local authorities to consider and respond to the recommendations contained in Sensing Progress . The majority of local authorities have since reported positive progress on a number of recommendations including establishing multi-agency strategy and resource groups. Local authorities are still implementing the recommendations and progress will be reported in the SWSI Annual Report for 2001.

Sensory Impaired People

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a progress report, by local authority area, on the implementation of The Scottish Office Report on the inspection of social work services for the sensory impaired in respect of the outcomes arising from the reviews of assessment arrangements and, in particular, what timescales have been established for assessments of sensory impaired people’s needs.

Iain Gray: The Social Work Services Inspectorate will be reviewing progress on all the recommendations in Sensing Progress through its annual visits to local authorities and will report on this in its annual report for 2001.

Transport

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage of car ownership for households has been for every year for which figures are available.

Sarah Boyack: Information on the percentage of households with the regular use of a car is given in table 1.11 of Scottish Transport Statistics no.18/1999 edition , published by the Scottish Executive in 1999, a copy of which is available in SPICe (Bib. no. 1771).

Working Groups

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of collating, publishing and circulating the report of the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group.

Mr Frank McAveety: The total cost of publishing and circulating the report of the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group was £31,624.